One Horned Rhino in Nepalby Deepak Subedi | 08-09-2018 17:27 |
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 Rhinoceros unicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Names Greater One-horned Rhino (English); Gaida (Nepali) Species Description Skin is hairless and slate grey, ashy when encrusted with mud, or black when wet. Large folds of skin across the flanks and tubercules resembling plates of armour. The most distinctive feature is the single horn at the end of the animal?s nose. Species Ecology Greater One-horned Rhino are found in alluvial plain habitats throughout their present range. This habitat consists of tall floodplain grasslands and swampy areas, bordered by riverine woodlands sometimes extending to drier Sal or Terminamlia forests. Greater One-horned Rhino feed on a wide variety of plants (up to 183 different species observed in Chitwan National Park) with a strong seasonal variation: grass (about 80%, mainly Saccharum spontaneum, S. bengalensis, Narenga porphorocoma, Arundo donex, Phragmites karka, Cynodon dactylon etc.), fruits (Trewia nudiflora and Ficus spp.), leaves and branches of trees (Litsea monopetala, Ficus glomerata, Ehretia laevis, Dalbergia, Acacia) and shrubs (Murraya paniculata, Colebrookia oppositifolia, Callicarpa macrophylla, Coffea bengalensis), sedges and ferns, aquatic plants and agricultural crops (rice, wheat, maize, lentils). Sexual maturity is reached at approximately five to seven years in females who produce a single calf after a gestation period of approximately 16 months. In a healthy rapidly breeding population, inter-calving intervals average two and a half to three years. Conservation Status Global Status: Vulnerable National Status: Endangered C1 Rationale for assessment: The Greater One-horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) has been assessed as Endangered under criterion C1 because of a small population which is fragmented and restricted in Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Bardia National Park and Chitwan National Park. The populations within Nepal are not able to move between these protected areas due to loss of connecting habitat. The population in Suklaphanta is no longer genetically viable by IUCN standards and the population in Bardia is close to the minimum viable population. The main threats to this species continue to be poaching, habitat loss and degradation due to invasive alien plant species Mikania micrantha, Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata, Eichhornia and Pistia stratiotes and human encroachment and conversion of land for agriculture. Greater One-horned Rhino exist in neighbouring areas of India, however significant movement across the border has not been observed. Legal Status CITES Appendix I Listed in the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 (1973) as protected priority species. National Population Size Total: 435 Adult: 293 Trend: Stable The 2008 survey counted 435 individuals (408 in Chitwan National Park, 22 in Bardia National Park and 5 in Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve). Of these, 293 were mature individuals. The global population is estimated at 2,575 individuals. National Distribution This species occurs in three locations: Bardia National Park, Chitwan National Park and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve with occasional movement into Parsa Wildlife Reserve from adjoining areas of Chitwan. Distribution outside Nepal India. Main Threats • Poaching for trade in body parts mainly horn. • Habitat degradation due to invasive plant species including Mikania micrantha and Lantana camara (grassland and riverine forests), Chromolaena odorata (Sal forests), Eichhornia and Pistia stratiotes (lakes and river systems). • Habitat Loss as a result of clearing for agriculture and livestock grazing and human encroachment. • Human-wildife conflict. Conservation Measures in Place Terai Arc Landscape Strategy Plan (2004-2014). National Greater One-horned Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy (2006-2011). Law enforcement and constant monitoring of sub-populations. Research on the invasive species Mikania micrantha. In Bardia National Park, efforts are being made to secure the area beyond the Karnali floodplains so that potential translocations in the future will not be at risk from poaching or encroachment. In Shukla Phanta, efforts are being made to increase the capacity of reserve staff for scientific surveys so that a consistent monitoring system can be established. Conservation Recommendations i) Continue effective anti-poaching initiatives (informant networks, dedicated armed and trained anti-poaching units). ii) Establish/continue regular intensive block monitoring system in all three rhino protected areas. iii) Establish/continue integrated standardised monitoring and reporting system; capacity building of field staff through training in rhino monitoring using the IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group accredited training programme; setup and maintain population master files and rhino database system. iv) Continue the use of standardised reports for informed decision making such deployment of patrols. v) Set up a common Bardia-Katerniaghat monitoring system. vi) Produce park population status reports and synthesise into a national / regional report for metapopulation management. vii) Develop a rhino recovery plan for Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve. viii) Translocate rhinos to Bardia National Park and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve to create viable, growing populations. ix) Develop and implement an effective management programme for invasive plant species particularly the primary invasive species Mikania micrantha. The management plan should incorporate several types of control: these need research to validate the approaches. The plan needs to include controls that can be used in the short to medium term in priority conservation areas. x) Maintain floodplain habitat including ox-bow lakes, by preventing spread of woodland, safeguarding wetlands through appropriate water management, implementing rotational grassland patch burning with effective firebreaks and limiting the extent of grazing by domestic livestock. xi) Enhance community engagement, education and awareness programmes. xii) Implement an effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategy in the buffer zones of the rhino protected areas. References Internet and Nowak 1999, Amin et al. 2006, Amin et al. 2009, Sectionov et al. 2007, DNPWC 2008, Jnawali et al. 2009, Kandel and Jhala 2008, IRF 2009. |
